Patent GB-649265-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to heat exchanging apparatus for gaseous media
Inventor: ROBINSON NORMAN ROBERT
IPC: F28D19/04
Filed: 1947-11-21
Abstract: 649,265. Rotary regenerative heatexchangers. ROLLS-ROYCE, Ltd. Nov. 21, 1947, No. 30978. [Class 64(i)] In a regenerative heat-exchanger having a casing within which rotates a heat conducting disc structure parts of which traverse alternately through, and cause heat to be exchanged between hot and cold streams of gas flowing through passages in the casing, gas seals are provided between axially facing parts of the peripheral portion of the disc structure and the casing, and anti-friction bearing means carried by the casing, engage the rotating disc structure at or near its periphery to locate it axially within the casing and to maintain the axial clearance in the seals. The disc structure which rotates on and is axially located on bearings 25, comprises two wheel like spoked casings 27, 28 which are rotated together but which are capable of independent radial expansion the disc 28 being received in a pocket formed by axial extensions on the hub 27b and the rim 27a of the disc 27. Additionally and at or near its periphery, the disc structure is located axially by eight pairs of opposed rollers 42 which, bear on the front and rear faces of the rim 27a of the disc structure and which are supported by bearings mounted eccentrically in housings 43, rotation of which gives adjustment of the rollers parallel to the axis of the disc. On each side of the rotating disc structure a pair of radial sealing elements 45 are provided between the hot and cold gas sectors of the casing. The central portions 45a of each sealing member 45 extend beyond the rim of the disc structure and locate resiliently mounted peripheral sealing members 46 which extend across the rim 27a, the necessary clearance being maintained by attached rollers 48, Fig. 1. On the hot side of the disc structure, Fig. 5, peripheral seals extending between the radial seals 45, are provided in both the air and gas sectors to prevent leakage from the inlet where the fluid is at a high pressure to the outlet where the fluid is at a relatively low pressure the said peripheral seals comprising in the air sector, an arcuate strip 52 and two spaced arcuate strips 59a, 60a, and in the gas sector, two pairs of spaced arcuate strips 54, 55 and 59b, 60b. The sealing strip 52 in the air sector, is protected by a heat shield 53 (see Fig. 2). Cold air under pressure is fed into the spaces between strips 54, 55 and 59a, 60a and 59b, 60b. On the "cool" side of the disc structure Fig 6, (not shown), only a single annular sealing strip 58 co-operating with the hub, is provided. The matrix elements 41, Fig. 2, in the disc structure may be made from heat resisting wire or tube or from ceramic material or the like. The casing surrounding the disc structure is built up from a number of sections, the section 19 on the "hot" side of the rotor disc being free to expand radially to reduce thermal stress in the casing as a whole. According to the Provisional Specification, the arcuate sealing strips 52, 54, 55 are provided only on the upstream side of the rotor disc both for the air and gas passages the periphery of the rim then being in communication on the downstream side of rotor, with the hot gas outlet passage 15 and the air outlet passage